The German Association for Free Body Culture turns 75 this year but has seen dwindling membership and changing attitudes towards a textile-free lifestyle. Here's the naked truth: Generally, Germans are unfazed by bare bodies . Some of the country's lakes, parks and beaches are sectioned off for naturists ; those who prefer keeping their threads on are usually unruffled when sharing spaces with those who don't.
This nonchalance could be attributed to one of the country's most iconic (and sometimes misunderstood) movements: Freikörperkultur (FKK) , or free body culture. As the Deutscher Verband für Freikörperkultur (DFK) — the umbrella body representing the interests of organized supporters of FKK — celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, we peel back the layers of this movement's evolution in Germany and its role in the country's cultural fabric. Nudity as antidote to industrialization A 2022 Deutschlandfunk Kultur podcast describes Germany as "one of the cradles of cultivated nudity.
" To be clear, there is no law in Germany that expressly prohibits (non-sexual) nudity. Nakedness on private grounds is considered legal, even if visible from outside. The same applies to naked sunbathing, unless otherwise stated by local laws.
FKK's roots date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Germany was abuzz with social reform movements aiming to redress industrialization's impact on people's health. At the time, living in cramped, polluted cities was wreaking ha.